The Source

The last year saw the rise of the Latino vote in the 2012 election and San Antonio local "Marathon Maniac" Larry Macon break the World Record for marathons in a year -- he finished with 157. So what will happen in 2013?

The Mexican revolution drove people into the United States and those that settled in South Texas helped shape the cultural and economic landscape of the area. This is especially notable as the Hispanic population continues to increase in the United States, and the country -- as Mayor Julián Castro put it --  begins to look like San Antonio. The last part of the show highlights a performance of Tchaikovsky’s "The Nutcracker," a production that is a holiday tradition in San Antonio and the U.S.

Geekdom is celebrating its first anniversary and is looking to the future of continued growth and innovation. Local pre-K book series Arte Kids has become a national hit by using San Antonio's bi-lingual and bi-cultural roots.

Their accounts of violence, oppression, and danger will astonish you, but not more than their determination to survive and thrive. Every year, San Antonio sees hundreds of refugees settled in the city. Strangers in a strange land - how well are these lost people getting along?

A special project from the UTSA Advanced Policy Social Work masters class wanted to find out – and inform the city.

The new Texas State Highway 130 toll road extension is now open and charging motorists to enjoy it’s privatized asphalt while pushing their speedometers to 85 mph. It’s the fastest stretch of legal driving in the nation.

Also known as the Pickle Parkway, it’s the first public-private partnership highway in Texas, but according to opponents the partnership allows the private company to shoulder very little risk, and instead puts taxpayers on the line to pay for such risks as uncollected tolls.

Pro Toll Road:

San Antonians are heading to the polls to vote for candidates in a number of races and the Pre-K 4 SA proposal – to raise the sales tax one eighth of a cent to pay for a full day pre-kindergarten program that proponents say will help turn around the city’s dropout problem.

Mayor Julián Castro is the biggest supporter for Pre-K for SA and says it’s not a silver bullet, but a big step in the right direction.

Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff opposes the proposal  because it raises taxes and he says there are too many unanswered questions.

Republican Francisco "Quico" Canseco is mounting his first defense of the seat he won two years ago from Ciro Rodriguez. The Democrats want to put this massive district back in the blue column, and State Representative Pete Gallego of Alpine is their nominee.

The 23rd Congressional District is seen as Republican-leaning and is massive – starting in San Antonio and reaching all the way west just shy of El Paso, stretching hundreds of miles along the Texas-Mexico border.

Incumbent John Garza and challenger Philip Cortez are divided on the role and effectiveness of education in their district. Cortez says that quality public education is the key to getting the district's residents on the road to success, and Garza says that state programs do not work and a voucher system would be the best way to make education stronger.

Following the primaries, Tea Party favorite Dr. Donna Campbell and Democrat John Courage emerged as the contenders for the Texas Senate District 25 seat.

The primary knocked longtime Senator Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, out of the running, along with challenger, former Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones.

Perhaps one of the only issues Campbell and Courage agree upon is opposition to toll roads, but they have vastly different views on health care, education, and energy.

So how does a physician plan to serve full time in the Senate?

As Republican candidate Susan Narvaiz points out, both of the top candidates in the newly created Congressional District 35 race are newcomers being that District 35 is newly created; although Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who currently represents Texas' 25th District, has been in the political arena for quite some time.